Principles for Relationships from God's Word by Claudio Consuegra

Too much too late

For the culmination of all things is near. So be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of prayer. (1 Peter 4:7 NET)

Neuroscientist Dr. Frances Jensen[i] reflects on teenagers’ access to constant stimuli. As she explains, we, as humans, are built to seek novelty and want to acquire new stimuli. When you think about it, social media provides a wealth of new stimuli that you can access at all times. The problem with teenagers is that because their frontal lobe is not completely developed yet they may not have the sufficient judgment to know when to stop. They don’t have the wisdom to decide which sites not to visit or which information they should not absorb. They are unaware of when to supervise themselves.

In addition, Jensen recommends teenagers should not be allowed to have their cellphones at night. It may be challenging to enforce it, but there are very good reason for doing so. When they’re trying to go to sleep they have this powerfully alluring opportunity to network socially or be stimulated by a computer or a cellphone which ends up disrupting their sleep patterns. In addition, it’s not a good idea to have multiple channels of stimulation while you’re trying to study and memorize information for a test the next day.

You also need to consider that the artificial light of the cell phone or other device can affect their brain by decreasing some chemicals in your brain that help promote sleep, such as melatonin, Some studies show that reading books with a regular warm light doesn’t disrupt sleep to the extent that using a Kindle does.

You should have a conversation with your teen and suggest that they don’t go under the sheets and have their cellphone on and be tweeting people late at night and right before they go to sleep. Their body, specially their brain, needs all the rest and rebuilding sleep it can have to rebuild it’s strength for the next day’s activities and to ensure they make the best and wisest decisions during these years of their life.

Father God, give me wisdom as I try to help my child control the amount and the time when they use the technological devices available to them so their brain and their entire body will get the rest they need.